Black Ice

When in September 2013 the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise heads towards the Arctic Ocean to protest against oil rigging, the crew has no idea of what awaits them. They are arrested and now face fifteen years in prison.

After their arrest on sea by Russian special forces the Greenpeace ‘Arctic 30’ are entangled in a web of political intrigue and international outcry. In a similar protest, a few years before, the demonstrators were allowed to walk free. Soon, newspapers all over the world provide coverage of the activists’ arrest. It would be the first time in Russian history that members of a non-governmental organisation risk such harsh punishment. The display of power and the severe indictment show that Vladimir Putin has stepped up his policy. The crew, consisting of members from eighteen different countries, is accused of vandalism and piracy by the Russian authorities.

Black Ice closely recounts the vicissitudes of the Arctic 30 as it follows the vessel and the Greenpeace activists from the moment they leave until the crew being arrested, the court case and what follows.